Irresistible
by Theado
Summary: What might have happened after the events of Irresistible. (episode tag)
1. Chapter 1

_I'm not a native speaker so there might be mistakes. Feel free to point them out. Enjoy!_

After making sure that even the last drop of the potion was destroyed, Sheppard just wanted to get to his room as fast as possible. Even though his cold literally saved Atlantis today, he now felt the downside of it. His throat was sore, a headache just started to materialize and why had this damn cell had to be this cold? It felt like he couldn`t shake the cold even though it had already been several hours, since Carson freed him from the frosty prison. Now all he wanted was to take a hot shower and curl up in bed.

The doors of the nearest transporter opened as his com cracked.

"Colonel Sheppard, please come in", he heard the sound of Major Lorne's voice.

"Go ahead Major", he responded while rubbing his throbbing temples.

"Sir, some weapons have been reported missing. We are currently going through all training rooms, to check if someone has just been lazy about putting their arms away, but we haven't found anything yet."

Sheppard frowned. "Where are you right now?"

"I am in the weaponry."

"All right stay there. I`ll be joining you in a minute. Sheppard out."

Entering the weaponry, he saw major Lorne talking to a young lieutenant **,** while making notes. The major looked up as he heard the sound of opening doors.

"Any news?"

"No, Sir. We have nearly covered all the rooms that we suspect the weapons might be in, but nothing so far. Right now there are six P90's missing."

"If someone is still under Lucius's spell and decides to go haywire we might have a real problem. "

Lorne nodded seriously. "I have already informed everyone to be cautious about someone carrying a gun and acting strange."

"Good thing the scientist aren't allowed to use weapons. We would never be able to locate those", Sheppard mumbled.

At this moment Teyla, followed by some soldiers entered the room. The soldiers were carrying several weapons each decorated with a big red ribbon.

"Major we have found the missing arms. I think lieutenant Colby wants to inform you about the circumstances of the disappearing."

A young and rather ashamed looking man stepped forward. "I'm sorry Sir, but I promised Lucius we would trade some of our weapons with him. At first I said no of course, but then he pointed out that we have so many of them."

Sheppard looked at him in disbelieve, than he closed his eyes and took a calming breath. With gritted teeth, he ordered Lorne to take the soldier to med bay.

"And make sure that no one else is still experiencing any aftereffects."

"Yes, Sir." Lorne grabbed the lieutenant and shoved him out of the room.

As the room cleared, he ran a hand through his already messy hair. The headache had become worse and felt like a dull pain behind his eyes. He really just wanted to lie down.

"John, are you not feeling well?", Teyla looked at him worried.

He smiled reassuringly. "It's nothing, I'm just feeling a little tired. I'll go to my room and catch some sleep."

"I'm glad. Will you still join us later for dinner? As Rodney has told me rather excitedly there will be Pizza today."

"Oh I'm sure as hell not gonna miss Pizza."


	2. Chapter 2

"Can we please eat now?" Rodney said while tapping his fingertips on the table. The scientist was annoyed and had been longingly looking at the pizza on the counter for the last few minutes.

"Rodney, John said he wanted to eat with us and he is only 10 minutes late. We can wait a little longer."

"Well, maybe you can, but I already feel how I get hypoglycaemic. Look my hands are already shaking."

He held his hands out in front of him. Teyla raised a brow and gave him a stern look.

"Oh come on, I'm hungry. And maybe he just overslept, so we will be waiting here for nothing until sleeping beauty wakes up."

"Ronon, what do you think about this?" Teyla turned to the warrior, who was leaned back in his chair. He simply shrugged. "I'm hungry too."

"Ok well, you two go ahead and eat, while I go check on the Colonel."

"Yes, finally." Rodney was already on his way to the counter.

Ronon got up. "Should I get you something?"

"No, thank you." She shortly touched his shoulder, than left the cafeteria. Hopefully Rodney was right, and John had simply overslept.

* * *

"Colonel, are you awake?" Teyla knocked on the door. There was no response from inside the room. Teyla frowned. It was unusual for the Colonel to sleep so deeply to overhear a knock on the door.

"John? May I come inside?"

When there was still no answer, she opened the door. It was dark except for some light from the bathroom. The door was half-open.

"John?" She turned on the light and stepped to the bathroom door. "Are you in there?"

Reluctantly she opened the door. The Colonel lay in a motionless heap on the floor.

"John!"

Hurriedly she knelt next to him. Carefully she turned him around to face her. With two fingers on his neck, Teyla checked for a pulse. It was strong but faster than usual. As she leaned forward she could feel his shallow breathing. "John, wake up!"

Lightly she tapped him on the cheek. As he didn`t respond, she tapped her comm. "Doctor Beckett please come in."

A moment later Carson answered. "Teyla, what can I do for ya?"

"I`m in the Colonel's Quarters. He is unconscious and not responding."

"Aye, hold on I´ll be there in a minute."

At this moment John stirred. His eyelids fluttered. Carefully Teyla slid a hand under his head.

"John, can you hear me?"

He moaned and tried to shield his eyes from the far too bright light.

"Teyla?" He squinted at her. "What happened?"

"I hoped you could tell me. I came to look after you, because you did not meet us at dinner and found you here. How do you feel?"

He had to withstand the urge to rub his temples. The dull headache from earlier, had become a constant pressure, which seemed to try crushing his brain. He swallowed. "I feel fine, just a bit aching here and there."

Slowly he leaned on his arm in order to get up. Teyla laid a hand on his chest to stop him. "You are obviously not well, John. You should lay still until Dr. Beckett arrives."

John froze. "You called Beckett?"

"Of course. You were unconscious, so I called for medical support."

Half-sitting, half-leaning on the wall he let his head fall back. He closed his eyes and wished for a soothing iceberg to lean his forehead on. But how the hell would he fit an iceberg into the bathroom?

A hand was touching his shoulder. As he opened his eyes, Teyla was crouched in front of him.

"John, are you listening to me?"

"Sorry, I must have zoned out there for a moment", he murmured.

"Is your head bothering you?"

He tried to read her expression. He must have been more obvious than he thought for her to notice.

"Yeah, a little, but I'm sure it's nothing a good night's sleep can't cure." With that he pushed away her hand and got up.

Suddenly the room started spinning. All noises faded until the only thing he heard was a high-pitched note in his ears.

At this moment Carson, medical bag in one hand, stormed the room. He saw his patient, ready to pass out again, and quickly grabbed him by the shoulder. Teyla had also gripped the Colonel in an attempt to steady him.

"Quick, let's get him to his bed."

They gently lowered him on the blanket.

"Colonel Sheppard? Can you hear me?" The doctor shone a light into the half-opened eyes of his patient. He seemed paler now and Teyla recognized a sheer layer of sweat on his forehead.

"What happened, lad?"

"I found the Colonel unconscious in the bathroom. He woke up and seemed mostly fine, except his head did seem to bother him. When he tried to get up he passed out again. What is wrong with him?"

"Aye, he seems to have a wee bit of fever. Maybe that cold of his wasn't quite over yet. I will have him transferred to medbay for observation." He signaled some med staff. A stretcher was brought in and two men carefully lifted Sheppard from the bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Slowly he opened his eyes. A familiar blue and green ceiling came into sight. His head felt fuzzy and his whole body was chilled.

John looked around, trying to find out where exactly he was. He was lying on a soft bed, covered with a thin blanket. The surrounding curtains were drawn close, but he could here quiet murmurs from the other side.

Somehow he must have ended up in the infirmary. He just couldn`t recall a damn thing. The last thing he certainly knew was the conversation he had had with Lucius. Rapidly he pushed himself up. He needed to figure out if that maniac was still roaming around Atlantis. If someone could just turn up the temperature a little. His body was shivering underneath the thin blue medical cothes.

He maneuvered his legs over the edge of the bed and got up. The second his feet touched the floor his legs faltered. With a thud he fell to the floor. Lying there he was thankful for the closed curtains as no one could have seen his rather ungraceful move. He stayed unmoving for a moment, shivering and listening for footsteps at his direction. Thankful no one ripped open the curtains and saw him lying helplessly on the floor.

Exhausted he slid a hand through his hair. He seemed unable to catch a thought and not being able to remember made him feel uneasy and uncomfortable. He needed to get up and find out what was going on.

He reached up to the rail of the bed and carefully pulled himself up. When he was finally standing the room started spinning. He closed his eyes and focused on staying on his feet. His hand reached out to the small table next to the bed for support.

Suddenly there was a loud noise, metal tools hitting the floor. The curtains were ripped open and Rodney pushed into the room. Instruments were scattered across the floor.

"What are you doing? It looks like a mess in here. Weren`t you supposed to stay in bed anyway?" The scientist asked, approaching his friend. A very pale John seemed to hold onto the bed for support. He looked faintly like a startled wild animal, which was ready to run at any moment.

Rodney stopped. "Sheppard, are you ok?"

John was looking at him with wide eyes. They seemed almost black as his pupils covered the most part of his usually green eyes.

"What is going on?"

"You`re in the infirmary, because you passed out in your room, remember?"

"No, not really." He looked around confused. "I need to… I need to leave." He released the tight grip on the bed rail and took some wobbly steps.

"Wait what? Oh no, you don't. You should really lie down again."

Rodney was interrupted as Carson entered. "What is goin`on in here. Rodney, what is the Colonel doing out of bed. I told you he needs rest." Carefully he pushed his patient back on the bed.

"That`s exactly what I asked him."

"I thought ya were supposed to watch him?"

"Oh please, I was getting some coffee and of course he decided to wake up during the two minutes that I was gone."

Carson shook his head and concentrated on the patient. "Colonel, are you feelin' alright? Did ya hurt yourself?" He took a light and shone it into John eyes. He noticed that John was shaking all over.

"I don`t remember." He tried rubbing his arms up and down in order to feel warmer. "I passed out?"

"Yes, Teyla found you. She said you had a wee bit of a headache." He carefully eyed his patient, then placed a hand on John`s forehead. "You are having a fever."

"I don`t feel like I`m having a fever. Actually I feel more like an ice cube." John said through gritted teeth.

"I guess your cold has gotten a lot worse with all the running around, lad. And that cold cell hasn`t helped either. What you need now is lots of rest and sleep."

"But I really need to… I need to…" There was something important that he had to do, but he couldn`t figure it out with all the haze that filled his head.

He wanted to get up, but Carson placed a hand on his shoulder pushing him back into the soft cushions. "No hopping out of bed anymore Colonel, alright?"

His body felt too tired to disagree. The constant cold and his short trip had exhausted him.

He heard the screeching of a chair and knew that Rodney was taking his place by his side.

Slowly his eyes slid close.

* * *

 _I really tried my best with Carson's accent. I hope it turned out alright._

 _at guest reviewer: Thanks so much for your review. Glad you're enjoying it._


	4. Chapter 4

John was tossing in his bed. Lips moving in incoherent mumble, his hands gripping the sheets tight. His breathing was fast and he was unnaturally pale. Drops of sweat were forming on his skin. Teyla placed a wet cloth on his forehead and gently brushed some strands of that jet-black hair out of his face. His skin seemed to radiate heat and he felt even hotter than when he had been brought in. Absently she noticed that even Ronon seemed concerned as he watched the Colonel sleep.

"Dr. Beckett? I think John's fever is still rising."

The Doctor, who had been taking notes on another patient, stepped over. He placed a hand on the patient's forehead and frowned. "Ya, right. His temperature is still rising. But don't you worry, lad. It might has to get worse before it gets better." He gave her a calming smile.

"It might has to get worse? What kind of explanation is that. Medicine after all is still voodoo." Unnoticed Rodney had appeared behind the doctor. Carson, knowing that the scientist's ranting was in fact concern, put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright, Rodney. The Colonel is tough. He`ll be right as rain in no time." The doctor left the team to check on his other patients. Rodney started pacing in front of the bed. After watching the restless scientist for several minutes, Teyla gently padded the chair next to her. "Rodney, please sit down. We should trust Doctor Beckett as he has a vast experience in treating patients.

Rodney stopped and turned towards her. "I do trust him, but what is it with medicine? Why can't he just give Sheppard some wonder pill to make the fever go down. He was completely fine earlier and now… well look at him." He gestured towards the pilot.

John eyes were tightly shut as in pain, but his eyes moved vividly beneath the lids. He was panting. As he turned his head the cloth slipped from his forehead. Quickly Teyla replaced the already warm towel with a fresh one.

Rodney had stepped up to the bed and was watching his friend's restless sleep from the end of the bed.

"I wasn't even there to help him." he mumbled and started pacing again. He had to stop as Teyla stood in front of him, hands placed on both his arms.

"Rodney, this is not your fault. How were you supposed to know that John was not feeling well? You know that he can be rather stubborn on these issues."

"I don't know I just feel like… like I should have been there." There was guilt in his eyes. "He would have come for me."

"You did not let him down, Rodney. He must have been in pain before but did not want us to notice. He just…"

"He is a warrior. He doesn't like to show weakness." Ronon said with his eyes still on Sheppard.

"Right", Teyla nodded and smiled at Rodney.

She returned to John's side and took his hand in hers, gently stroking it. Rodney sat down next to her and managed to stay quiet for about five minutes.

Suddenly John's hand jerked lightly. He frowned, and a quit moan escaped him.

"I think he is waking up", Teyla said. McKay slipped closer and leaned forward. "Sheppard? Can you hear us?"

John eyelids twitched than his eyes started to open slowly. He blinked several times irritated by the bright light. Everything was still blurred but he could make out the voices of his team.

He started coughing. His throat felt like sandpaper and he felt way too hot.

Strong hands supported his back and helped him sit up. Than someone held a glass to his lips. "Here, drink some water." He noticed Teyla's gentle voice. John closed his eyes as he swallowed some of the liquid. Afterwards he was lowered back onto the cushions.

"What… what happened?"

Rodney's head came into sight. "You passed out, because you were to stubborn to tell anyone that you weren't feeling alright, genius."

"What Rodney wants to say is that we were all very worried about you. You should have told us that you were not feeling well."

"I'm sorry", he mumbled. The room seemed to spin slightly, the faces of his friends becoming fuzzy again. "Why is it so hot in here?" John tried to shove the blanket away. He felt sweaty all over but noticed that his body had started to shiver violently. He weakly tried to push himself up.

Ronon placed a hand on his chest and held him back. "Stay."

"Teyla," John gasped. "I don't feel so well right now."

The next thing he felt was bile rising up in his throat and his desperate try to roll over. Luckily Ronon understood fast and supported his weak body as he was heaving over the edge of the bed.

His muscles were shivering as his body was wrecked by cramps. He couldn't breathe, only gasp for air in between several convulsions. It felt like an eternity until the urge to vomit subsided. John let his head drop onto the matress. He felt exhausted and embarrased.

A hand was stroking his back gently in order to calm his rigid breathing.

"sorry… so sorry", he mumbled.

"It's alright, John. Do not worry about this."

He wanted to say something, but could already feel himself succumbing to the darkness.


	5. Chapter 5

Carson stepped up to the bed. The Colonel was, as usual, surrounded by the team. Ronon, feet up on a second chair, seemed to sleep, while Rodney had set up his laptop on the nightstand. Teyla approached him immediately. "Have you figured out what is wrong with John, Doctor?"

"Well, I'd say that it`s not a simple cold anymore, somehow he got infected with something close to a disease we on earth call the flu. That explains why he was feeling better a few days ago. This disease that we are familiar with on earth can develop very quick from some muscle pains and a headache to serious conditions like the Colonel is experiencing right now."

Rodney looked up alarmed. "Oh, that's so typical. He's the only one who caught a cold and now he's the only one who caught space flu? Uh, I just hope I didn't get infected. Actually, I did have a bit of a headache this morning."

"Relax Rodney, you're fine. If you were infected by the Colonel I doubt that you would be sitting here."

"Can we somehow be of help?", Teyla asked.

A nurse brought a tray with a syringe. Carson disinfected a small spot on Sheppard's arm and injected a liquid. "We'll give him antibiotics to help his body overcome the illness. Apart from that he needs a lot of rest and stay hydrated. But I'm sure he would appreciate your company if he awakes."

At this moment alarms started blaring. All conversations were drowned by the piercing sound. Lights were flashing.

Rodney pressed one hand to his ear to make out Major Lorne's voice over the comm. His eyes widened. „There is an emergency at the gate room."

Ronon instantly turned around, making his way to the control room, Rodney trailing behind him.

Teyla took a glance back at the John, who was tossing in his bed.

„Don't worry, I'll take good care of him", Carson assured her.

„She nodded reluctantly than ran after her teammates.

* * *

John awoke with a start. There was noise everywhere. He had to shut his eyes because of some flashing red light on the other side of the infirmary. Pushing himself up with aching muscles he took in his surroundings. Nurses and doctors were running around frantically. Patients were screaming. He heard glass shatter and a slightly red liquid spilled across the floor.

What was going on? He was sitting up now and tried to manouver his unwilling legs over the edge of the bed. Slowly John put some of his weight on his feet, but his legs crumpled beneath him. He was kneeling on the floor with a flushed face and sweat dripping from his forehead. The alarm was buzzing in his ears and he felt light-headed.

Closing his eyes he took a deep breath and tried to fight the nausea and dizziness.

Atlantis was in danger. The city needed him. His friends needed him.

Clenching his fists he pushed himself off of the floor. His legs were still wobbly but he managed to make his way along the bedrail and some chairs. Then he snatched a crutch, which was within reach.

He caught a glimpse of Carson, who was running around, shouting instructions and trying to sort out the turmoil. One moment he was calming a patient, the next assigning tasks to nurses and fellow doctors.

He was too busy to notice the feverish patient that slipped through the door out into the hallway.

* * *

Teyla took the stairs two at a time. She entered the gate room, which was in turmoil.

Rodney and Zelenka were working inbetween several gate technicians with Elizabeth was walking up and down in front of the counter. Playing with a knive, Ronon leaned against a wall. From his body language Teyla could tell that he was surpressing his urge to shoot something. The warrior was waiting for some kind of tangible target that he could smash, instead of waitng and not knowing.

„What is going on?"

„All of these people around are completely useless, that's what's going on.", Rodney said, with eyes fixed on his computer screen.

„He doesn't know", Ronon said.

„Yet! And can somebody shut off this alarm already?"

Radek was mumbeling, but nonetheless he started working on his laptop next to the scientist and a few moments later the alarm silenced.

„You're welcome," he said but Rodney didn't listen. He had stopped typing and was observing the image on the screen. Radek leaned over his shoulder. His eyes widened. „Is that?"

„Yes. There is a massive asteroid heading towards Atlantis."

„Can we destroy it?", Elizabeth asked.

Rodney nodded absent mindedly while he looked over the data.

„Let's do it." Ronon flipped his blaster.

„Ok, first, with that thing you're not gonna accomplish anything. And second, it's not as easy as you all probably imagine. We can't just somehow shoot at it and hope we get lucky. We need to hit it in just the right angle so that as a result all the fragments will be small enough to be completely burned in the atmosphere."

„Ok, so what do you suggest?" Elizabeth asked.

Major Lorne stepped forward. „We can't take Jumpers or F302s because they might get hit by fragments themselves. That leaves us with only the chair to stop the asteroid. As recently commanding officer I will head down to the chair room and take the shot."

Rodney got up. „Woah stop. You just heard what I said? You need to hit the asteroid exactly in the right spot and, no offense, but I doubt that even you are a good enough shooter for that."

„Oh, so you wanna try it?"

„Of couse not."

„Gentelmen, focus", Elizabeth intervened. „Rodney, who do you have in mind?"

„Well, there is just one person that I can think of."

„Colonel Sheppard." Elizabeth said. „I agree, but we can't rely on him now.

„Ok, so what other options do we have?" Teyla asked.

„I think that Major Lorne is the most capable person. He should take the shot."

„Great, so we're all gonna die."

„Um, Dr. Weir?" Zelenka interrupted. „The asteroid is destroyed."

„What?" Rodney turned around and rushed to get back behind the screens. „He is right. It's gone."

„How is that possible?" Dr. Weir asked.

Rodney shooed Zelenka away and took his place. „It seems like someone shot the thing before us. And got a perfect hit by the way. All those fragments won't cause any damage."

„Who was that? We don't have anyone on the radar", Lorne seemed concerned.

Rodney concentrated on the computer than answered hesitantly. „It seems like… it got destroyed by us. With Atlantian drones. From our chair room."

* * *

 _I think I have to apologise to you all. I know that space flu is a pretty lame excuse and I hope you won't mind.  
_

 _Thanks for keeping on reading and reviewing. You make my day._


	6. Chapter 6

Sheppard stumbled into the chair room. He wasn't even sure how he made it there in the first place. There were fuzzy images popping up in his foggy mind from swaying corridors and rushing soldiers. Some of them had thrown him concerned glances, but mostly they were too preoccupied to stop and ask questions.

He stepped closer to the chair and with every move he felt like the chair was physically pulling him in. Sending out waves of warmth and energy that made his hair stand up and the pain fade away. It felt comforting, like coming home. He realised now that he had felt it all the time. Not even consciously knowing where his feet where carrying him, he had just instinctly known that this was where he was supposed to be right now.

He dropped his heavy and aching body into the chair and it instantly reacted. It began glowing, raising him into an almost horizontal position. John closed his eyes and let his mind connect with it. The city began feeding his brain with a steady stream of information. The constant flow of data didn't feel uncomfortable, more like things that he once knew and just forgot. It was like the city was absorbing him slowly, making him a part of Atlantis, another great and advanced technology waiting to fulfill its purpose.

He opened his eyes. There were several holograms floating above his head. One was displaying the city from above, another one a graph that he somehow knew was indicating velocity. Next to it some complicated calculations. The biggest hologram displayed a huge block of stone, which was currently heading straight for Atlantis.

Sheppard's heart sped up. His fingertips tingled, like touched by a small amount of electricity. The city was urging him to do something.

He took a calming breath and evaluated the data again. But even on the second glance it was clear that Atlantis shield wouldn't be able to protect the city from such a massive impact. The asteroid was too big. It would simply blow Atlantis into the ground of the sea.

As if sensing his hesitancy another image popped up. There were angles and different vectors indicating forces and how they would work together. A red bull's eye marked an exact point on the surface of the asteroid.

That's it, he thought. That's the spot where it would be completely destroyed. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, slightly confused by all the swirling images Atlantis had shown him, but he didn't resist as the city continued to feed him information. Suddenly it felt like a pleasant stream running through his mind, filling every corner and washing away any doubts. He was now searching the weaponry for the appropriate ammunition. The images pushed past only stopping as a large missile appeared. Quickly he scaned the details about range and power, the tingle becoming more intense as he assessed the weapon.

The next steps were as easy as raising an arm. It wasn't a conscious thought, he simply willed the city to activate the rocket, like a body part that was attached to him. For a moment he even thought he could feel the cool metal on his skin. John took a deep breath and tried to focus at the same time slowing down his heart rate as he would have done it with every wide range shot. He only saw the bullseye, everything else was forgotten. He felt himself disconnect from his body as if, becoming one with the humming city.

He released his breath.

The missile went off.

Inaudible the asteroid shattered into a million small pieces. Fragments were send into the wide and empty space leaving behind traces of what had been there mere seconds before.

The hologram vanished.

Sheppard felt like he was sinking into the chair. With the threat gone the city seemed to relinquish its grip on him. He only now realised that he hadn't been able to form an own thought the past few minutes, but now everything came pushing back. The energy that had kept him concentrated, had receded and left him exhausted. Different parts of his body slowly seemed to reconnect and made him aware of the various kinds of pain he was in. He gasped with the sudden upcoming of all those feelings. Lights swam before his eyes and made him feel dizzy. The last thing he recognised was a beautiful hologram of the city, its towers glistening in the sunlight.

* * *

Carson sat down in his chair and sipped on a glass of water. The last hour had been a chaos. The unexpected set off of the alarm had troubled the patients. Some of them had been reluctant to stay in their beds, especially a few soldiers, which were convinced that they were needed for protection, so the medical staff had a hard time keeping everyone in place. One especially disorientated young man had tried to hide. As he was discovered, he ran, thereby knocking over trays, smashing bottles and scattering equipment all over the infirmary. In his condition he even attacked a nurse, which tried to administer a sedative. As Carson assisted her by holding the him down, the man took a good swing at his jaw.

All in all it had been a rough day, so Carson was happy to be sitting down for a moment. He rubbed his still aching jaw as a nurse stepped into his office.

"Dr. Beckett, we have a problem", she said looking anxious.

He sighted. "What is it, my dear?"

"It's about the Colonel. He is gone."

* * *

 _Thanks again for sticking around, especially to those who took some time and left a review. It means a lot to me._


	7. Chapter 7

John awoke by the sound of the door opening. Suddenly a big, muscular and kind of intimidating man was leaning over him. Vaguely he thought he might knew this guy, but couldn't really remember.

"Sheppard?" The man eyed him concerned. "You alright?"

Before John could answer, he heard footsteps and several people entered the room, surrounding him. "Colonel, what do you think your doin'?"

A smaller and friendly looking man was talking to him. He was still catching his breath and seemed upset. Sheppard didn't know why. Who were all of these people? What were they doing here? And where was here anyways?

Hazily he blinked up at the concerned doctor. The faces floating above him were unfocused and seemed to drift in and out of his universe. He tried to connect names with these strangely familiar people, but his thoughts just didn't want to stick around. He closed his eyes as waves of pain rolled through his body. The voices grew louder as a moan escaped his lips.

"It will be alright, John. We are all here."

He realized that a pretty woman with kind eyes was holding his hand. He licked his lips, but his mouth felt far to dry to form any words. Besides he wasn't sure if his mind even knew how to form them. His brain still seemed to be occupied with the stars surrounding the planet, movement of transporters and oxygen levels in laboratories 3,22 and 31.

"Colonel? Are you back with us, lad? Can you tell me your name?"

It took a moment to process the words. Then he answered. "Sheppard."

"Very well. And can you tell me my name, too?" The doctor was shining a pen light into his eyes, which made him flinch.

"I'm sorry, I don't… I can't think right now."

"That's alright. Don't you worry, it will all come back after some rest." The doctor straightened up and turned around, talking to some men out of his view. "Let's get him back to the infirmary."

The woman pressed his hand, then let go of it. Instead some men stepped up to the chair. Carefully they lifted him onto a stretcher. Than the stretcher was wheeled into the hallway with the doctor leading the way and the rest of the people trailing on behind him. He could hear their rhythmic footsteps as they made their way to the infirmary. He let his head fall to the side, eyes only barely open. One door after another trailed by as his mind slipped into blissed darkness.

* * *

He was sitting on a beach watching the lazy waves with his surf board next to him. His feet were dug into the fine sand and the wind was tousling his hair. It was a perfect day for surfing and he couldn't be happier.

John picked up the board and went into the water. It was warmer than he would have thought. He paddled further out into the ocean than sat up on the board just enjoying the view with his feet dangling in the water. A school of small fish surrounded his feet curiously, sometimes even picking at his skin. They swam between his legs and he watched their scales change their color as they moved.

Suddenly everything went dark. A big object was covering the sun, growing as it came closer. It began glowing as it hit the atmosphere. John watched in horror as it fell towards the earth. Suddenly it was hard to breathe and he could feel drops of sweat rolling down his face. Even the water felt like it was boiling and John rapidly pulled his legs onto the board.

This couldn't be real. Frantically he looked around, for something or someone that could help him. In the far distance he could make out towers and building just floating above the water. A city in the middle of the ocean. He didn't know how, but he just knew that this was Atlantis and at the same time it was home.

The air became unbearably hot, his skin feeling like it would melt of his body and his lungs burning with each breath. John realized that the city would be destroyed.

With a desperate gasp for air he sat up. It was still hot and hard to breathe, but the ocean was gone. Instead he was surrounded by walls. Hands pushed him down as he struggled to stay up, but they were too strong or maybe was just too weak. Someone held a mask over his face covering his mouth and nose. He wanted to push it away, but someone was holding his hands down. Unable to move John tried to twist his head away from the mask. He sucked in air, but his lungs seemed to have conspired against him sending him into a coughing fit.

As the coughing receded, he felt drained. He couldn't fight anymore, so he just lay there breathing and shaking.

Gentle fingers were stroking through his hair.

He opened his eyes to see the woman from before. She looked down on him and smiled as she looked into his open eyes.

"Telay?", he whispered.

"How do you feel, John?"

"Is Atlantis save?"

"Yes, you destroyed the asteroid. Don't you remember."

He looked at her for a moment with wide and unfocused eyes. "We need to save Atlantis."

She laid a hand on his forehead, checking his temperature. "You are not well, John. You need to rest now. Everyone is ok. Please do not worry."

He shook his head and shoved away the blanket. Even sitting up he was swaying, grabbing the bed rail for support. "I...I need to go to the chair room."

"No, you need to stay here, Colonel." Carson came rushing to John's bedside already preparing a syring. "Ronon would you assist me? You need to hold the Colonel down so I can give him a sedative."

Ronon simply nodded then carefully pushed John back into the pillows. "Sheppard, you need to lie down."

John grabbed his shirt with a shaking hand. "You don't understand. We're in danger." Ronon frowned and looked over at Teyla. She seemed concerned too. "Doctor, what is wrong with him?"

Beckett discarded the empty syringe. "I think the fever and the use of the chair all messed with his head quite a bit. He probably just needs some time to process everything." Carson turned to his patient.

"Colonel, Atlantis is save. I know you're confused, but you will feel much better when you wake up." The doctor patted John's arm, then put the oxygen mask back on his face as his patient finally fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Elizabeth sat down in the chair next to the bed that her second in command was currently sleeping in. She had been concerned about him when he was found in the chair room after the incident with the asteroid. Carson had mentioned that this might worsen his condition and also that he had some trouble with his short-term memory as he first awoke after the whole trouble. Luckily he seemed better know. His skin had a more natural tone and a small nasual cannula supported his breathing instead of the bulky mask. He was calm, the monitor connected to his heart giving a steady rhythm.

She smiled, while watching him. It was typical of John to risk his own well being if he could just save everyone else. So it wasn't a big surprise as Major Lorne informed her that John was found in the chair room. As shocked as she was, she had to admit that she was glad that neither Lorne nor anyone less capable than the Colonel had to make the shot. It could have easily killed all inhabitants of the city.

Relieved that everything had turned out alright she relaxed into her seat. John shifted in his sheets, deeply inhaling as he rolled over onto his side, but didn't wake up. He was facing her now with slightly opened mouth and eyes vividly moving beneath their lids. In this state, completely oblivious to the world around him, the usually stoic and reserved soldier seemed almost vulnerable.

She grasped the blanket that had slipped down to his waist as he moved and pulled it to cover him up. On the small side table next to the bed set a glass of water and a laptop, which was probably Rodney's. Of course the team had been assembled around the bed as she had entered the infirmary first. Only with the mention of food and Teyla's help Elizabeth had managed to get them to leave and take a much-needed brake. But she had to admit that right know some company would have been great. With John sleeping it got a bit boring and she didn't like to dwell on the thought of what could have happened to him or the city.

Elizabeth looked around. Carson was nowhere to be seen and in general the infirmary seemed quiet at the moment. She just considered getting up and searching for something to read as John moaned quietly. She laid a hand on his shoulder as his eyelids fluttered.

With tired eyes, he looked around and then, slightly confused, up at her.

"Elizabeth?" he asked, his voice raw. "What happened?"

"You saved Atlantis. Do you remember?"

He frowned. "I don't know. I… I felt like the city needed me." He tried to remember what it had felt like. There had been pain, his body screaming at him, only fading when he went closer to the chair room and a tone, so high-pitched that he rather felt it than really heard it, making his flesh crawl.

But now there was nothing but quiet and maybe if he concentrated enough a low and comforting hum.

"We're safe." He whispered.

"Yes, we're safe, thanks to you. But I have to tell you, Dr. Beckett was not very pleased that you snuck out of the infirmary. I think he's still a little mad."

Grunting he pushed himself into a sitting position. "I didn't mean to escape. I barely remember actually."

She nodded and adjusted his pillows, so he was more comfortable. "Yes, Beckett mentioned that you might not remember. You must have been very confused when you woke up the last time."

"I think I had a strange dream.", he said staring into the distance.

Elizabeth took the glass of water from the table and held it in front of him. "Here, you should drink something."

As he took the glass, footsteps were heard and, accompanying them, a loud and familiar annoying voice. John smiled as he saw his team entering the infirmary. Rodney stopped at the end of his bed and crossed his arms.

"I sat here for at least 4 hours today. But no, you decide to wake up when Elizabeth is here for 30 minutes."

"It's good to see you too, Rodney."

Teyla sat down on the edge of his bed. She took the glass from his slightly trembling hands. "How do you feel, John."

He took a deep breath and tried to assess his body. All his limbs felt far too heavy to move and kind of sore, as if he had just tried to fight a Wraith. Over all he just wanted to go back to sleep until he felt better. "Tired, but I'm okay."

"Well, I think you're in good hands now, so I'll get back to work." Elizabeth smiled at him and got up. Immediately Rodney slumped into the now vacant seat while Ronon snitched another one from nearby.

"She says that like she's the only one working around here."

"You're not working." Ronon said.

"Well, not right now, I'm not. But I have been this morning. And I'm working faster than anyone else anyways."

John closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. The fast-paced conversation and the bright, white light in the room made him feel dizzy. Teyla touched his shoulder.

"Maybe we should leave you alone, so you can sleep undisturbed."

"No, it's okay. It's…" He looked at Rodney, who was still rambling on with the occasional disruption from Ronon. He would have never admitted it but hearing their voices and knowing they were there was comforting.

"It's nice to have you around."


	9. Chapter 9

There was a clicking sound somewhere next to him. Erratic, with changing rhythms but the same clicking noise over and over again. Than finally voices started to filter through the fog.

"Well not everyone's got the time to just sit around and wait for Sheppard to wake up. My work is important, so I'm working here now."

A deep rumbling voice answered. "If it's so important, why are you here?"

"Because I don't need to be in a lab for this and also here I won't be bothered by my incompetent colleagues."

"Rodney, please keep it down. The Colonel is supposed to rest."

"'m, awake." He mumbled. It took a few seconds for him to adjust to the bright light, but then he was able to make out Teyla next to him.

"John, it is good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Completely tired of waking up in here."

Gratefully he took the glass of water that Teyla offered him. He took a sip then relaxed back against the pillows. "Ok, so how does it look? How long will I have to stay?"

"Oh no! Colonel you can't be serious." A rather upset Dr. Beckett appeared at his bedside. "As long as ya still having a fever you're going to stay in this bed right where I can see you. Do you understand me?"

John knew it was in vain to argue with the Doctor, so he raised his hands in defeat. "Got it, Doc." Maybe if he played the model patient, Carson would let him out of here sooner after all.

"I'll be watching ya." Carson said, before he left the team.

Rodney chuckled.

"What is so funny, McKay?" John asked.

"It almost seems like _Colonel_ John Sheppard is afraid of Carson.

"I heard that Rodney! And if I'm right you're still missing your Behlh-pox vaccination. I could arrange that now, but you won't be able to sit for a while."

Rodney slammed his laptop shut and got up. "I think I gotta go, there's this important thing at the lab that can't wait."

John couldn't quite remember when he had seen McKay walk that fast lately. He grinned.

"I'll go, too. Got some training to do." Ronon got up.

"Can't sit still that long, huh?" John remarked.

The warrior shrugged. "Sorry, Sheppard."

"It's ok, you're gonna need the training for when I'm back on my feet again."

The Satedan actually smiled, then waved his hand goodbye.

With a sight John sunk deeper into the pillows and closed his eyes. He heard Teyla shift in her seat trying to get comfortable. "You don't have to stay you know?"

"I know, but I would like to keep you company. Also I don't need training to, as you would phrase it, kick your butt", she said smirking.

He raised one eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said then stretched under the covers until he felt more comfortable.

Teyla was watching him carefully. "Do you need anything, John?"

He looked around the quiet infirmary. Everything was ok. Atlantis was safe.

"No, I'm fine."

* * *

And that's it... I hope you enjoyed it.

Thank you so much for sticking around and all the lovely support. You all made me very happy.


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